I believe a telling point has come out this week. Arafat, unpleasant and ineffectual as he may be, cannot go to a meeting of his peers without the permission of the Israelis. That seems to be a bit like Bush not being able to head off to a meeting of NATO without the permission of Russia, or China. Even in times of "peace" over there, the Israelis control the lives of the Palestinians, using their Army as an occupational force.

And, the Israelis keep encroaching on the land of the Palestinians by building new settlements, land which is guaranteed under agreements to which the Israelis willing signators. The reason is the Israeli right-wing, which points to Old Testament language in which God granted those lands to the Jews, and the government is afraid to "buck" the right-wing.

Until the Palestinians, without an army, could start to raise hell the only way they could, the world ignored them, and the area was at "peace" as far as anyone cared. Except that the Palestinians were controlled by the Israeli Army, and their lands were gradually being taken away from them. No self-respecting Palestinian could live like that forever, just as none of us could.

Clearly the Palestinians couldn't attack the Israeli Army. That takes an army, and they are forbidden an army. So, it's civilian vs. army, civilian vs. nation, by definition "terrorism". (By the way, the Israelis were "terrorists" prior to the formation of Israel. Menachem Begin was a "terrorist", car-bombing the British.)

If the Palestinians perceive themselves as having a legitimate cause, if they can't negotiate their way through their grievances, and if they have to resort to force to attempt to rectify their condition, then they are in a war and would have to use the weapons they have, which doesn't include an army.

I suspect the Israelis have insurance on their soldiers which pays their families in the event of their death. While I don't like Saddam Hussein, I don't like what he does, and agree the world would be better off without him, I don't know that I can take too much umbrage about this matter.

Arf